Fire escape device



Oct. 27, 1953 L. A. EASTMAN FIRE E SCAPE DEVICE 2 s I w 5 L A 7' TOR/V6 Y Oct. '27, 1953 A. EASTMAN FIRE ESCAPE DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug- 50 1950 INVENTOR. L W/5 4. E15 7444 BYWWZW ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 27, 1953 FIRE ESCAPE DEVICE Lewis A. Eastman, Wyandotte, Mich.

Application August 30, 1950, Serial No. 182,338

6 Claims.

This invention relates to safety devices and has particular reference to fire escapes of the type employing a flexible chute.

An object of the invention is to generally improve devices of the character indicated and to provide a fire escape apparatus which is simple in construction, efficient in operation, and one which may be permanently installed on an old or a new building with a minimum of expense and with little, if any, alterations to the buildi Another object of the invention is the provision of a permanently installed fire escape which, when not in use, is out of the way and is protected from the elements and other agents which might damage or misuse it, yet is readily available for immediate use should the occasion demand.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a permanently installed fire escape which may be made ready for immediate use from the interior of the building.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of the character indicated, the principal part of which is concealed in a wall opening when not in use.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a permanently installed fire escape which may be fully retracted after use by a person on the interior of the building.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of the character indicated which may be automatically lowered into operating position when initially started by a person on the interior of the building.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of the character indicated which is constructed, arranged and installed so that children, aged people, cripples and bedridden patients may be evacuated from a building with a minimum of effort.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a fire escape which is accessible through a wall opening positioned substantially at floor level.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a permanently installed fire escape which is suitable for direct evacuation of persons from multiple story buildings as high as five stories.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds, reference being made from time to time to the accompanying drawings, forming part of the within disclosure, in which drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying the invention mounted on the exterior wall of a building and shown in extended position for immediate use.

Fig. 2; is a front elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1 in retracted position when not in use.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the device in retracted position with broken lines indicating a wall and broken lines indicating the relation of the parts as the boom is being lowered to the ground for use.

Fig. 4 is a section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail of the inside wall of the building showing the interior closure for the wall opening in which the chute is mounted.

Fig. 6 is a view taken substantially on the line 8-6 of Fig. 4.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, it will be understood that the device embodying the invention consists in general of a flexible chute 9 which is secured at one end, as at I0, H, l2 and Hi, to a frame member 14 set in an opening I5 formed in the exterior wall 16 of a 1 building, and is secured at the other end, as at IT,

to a boom or outrigger [8 which is pivotally mounted in brackets l9 secured to the outside of the wall I 6. The bottom and top members of the frame M are inclined downwardly from the interior to the exterior of the wall I6 (Figs. 3 and 4), so that when the chute 9 is extended, a person entering the chute will start the descent immediately upon entering the frame. This is an important feature of the invention as it permits the bottom of the wall opening I 5 to be positioned at and below the floor level of the building, so that a bedridden patient may descend the chute on a mattress without the necessity of lifting the mattress into the chute.

The chute 9 is made of fireproof canvas, Fiberglas or other suitable material and is supported along its edges 28 by means of cables 2| which are secured at one end to the end of the boom I 8 and at the other end to the frame M. The longitudinal edges 20 of the chute 9 may be provided with tunnel members 22 as shown in Fig. 1, through which the cables 2! are adapted to slide, or they may be provided with grommets 23 and snap fasteners 24 which may be snapped over the cables 2| as shown in Fig. 3. The cables 2| are preferably formed of airplane wire which is very flexible, light in weight, and very strong.

The cables 2| are of such length as to permit the chute 9 to sag slightly when the boom IE is extended. This is an important feature of the invention as the sagging of the chute tends to retard the speed of a person descending the chute so that upon the arrival of the person at the 7 end of the chute, he may remove himself from the chute or be removed therefrom by an attendant without the danger of being thrown to the ground.

The free end of the boom I8 is supported by means of additional cables 25, the latter being arranged to be wound on drums 26 (Figs. 4 and 6) which are supported at either end of a tubular member 21 which is adapted to rotate on a shaft 28 journaled at either end, as at 29, in bearing members formed in the side walls of the frame M, the latter being secured to the wall it of the building by means of screws 38 or other suitable means. The cables when fully exe tended are slightly longer than the cables 2|, so that they will assume the full weight of the boom 18 and hold the end thereof off the ground when the boom is extended.

One of the drums 25 (Fig. 6) is provided with a ring gear 31 which is adapted to engage a worm gear 32 carried on a shaft 33, which is supported in suitable bearings 34. The shaft 33 may be manually rotated by means of a removable hand crank 35, Friction brake elements 36 may be provided between the side wall of the drum 2% and the frame I4 in order to help control the downward movement of the boom l8 as it descends under its own weight and the weight of the chute 9 when being readied for use.

The boom i8 is provided at its free end with a plate-like member 3? which serves the dual purpose of providing a landing platform for persons descending the chute and also serves as a closure member for the wall opening when the boom I8 is retracted as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. When the boom i8 is retracted as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the flexible chute 8 is folded into the wall opening defined by the frame [4. The inside portion of the wall opening may be provided with a finish frame 38 and hinged doors 39, so that the chute 9 is completely enclosed when the device is not in use. The hand crank 35, when not in use, is preferably held in the supporting bracket Hi.

In the embodiment herein disclosed, the device is shown employed to evacuate persons from the third floor of a building having floors 4i, 4! and 43 and windows M and 45, although it may be utilized on building up to five stories in heighth by changing the length of the boom ill, the chute 9 and cables 2! and 25.

When not in use, the chute 9 is accordion folded and is stored in the wall opening [5 as shown in Fig. 4. When it is desired to use the device, the doors 3!! on the interior of the building are opened and the upper end of the boom I8 is given a push either by hand or foot causing it to descend under its own weight and the weight of the chute 9. The free end of the boom will descend to a position spaced from the ground 45 when the cables 25 are fully extended. This arrangement provides a somewhat resilient landing for the persons descending the chute, and is preferable to having the end of the boom rest directly on the ground. It also compensates for any unevenness that might be encountered in the ground level.

After the device has been used, the boom is retracted to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3 by winding the cables 25 over the drums 26 by means of the hand crank 35.

Having described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described for use with a wall having an opening therein, comprising a flexible chute adapted to be secured at one end to said wall, a boom secured at one end to said flexible chute and adapted to be pivoted at the other end to said wall, and a plate like member positioned on the free end of said boom adjacent one end of said chute, said plate being adapted to serve as a landing platform when the boom is down and a closure for the said wall opening when the boom is elevated.

2. A device of the character described for use with a wall having an opening therein, comprising a flexible chute adapted to be secured at one end in said wall opening and secured at the other end to-the free end of a boom, a boom secured at one end to said flexible chute and adapted to be pivoted at the other end to said wall, and cables attached at one end to the free end of said boom and adapted to be attached at the other end to members secured in said wall opening, certain of said cables being arranged to slidably support the longitudinal edges of said chute.

3. A device of the character described for use on a building having an exterior wall with an opening therein, comprising a flexible chute adapted to be secured at one end to said wall and at the other. end to the free end of a boom, said boom adapted to be pivoted to the exterior of said wall, said boom being constructed of a pair of side rails sufiiciently spaced from each other to clear any window opening in said wall below said first named wall opening, said side rails having a. rigid plate like member secured thereto, which said plate like-member serves the dual function of forming a landing platform at one end when the boom is extended and forming a closure for the exterior of said first named wall opening when said boom is retracted.

4. A device for use with a building having an exterior wall with an opening therein, comprising a flexible chute adapted tobe folded in said opening, a boom pivoted to the exterior of said wall below said opening, the free end of said boom supporting said plate and one end of said chute, and cables connected to the free end of said boom and adapted to connect with retract ing elements positioned on the interior of said building, said cables, when retracted, being arranged to lock the free end of said boom and said plate against the exterior of said wall to prevent the outward displacement of said chute.

5. The structure defined in claim 4, together i with a pair of cables adapted to be secured at one end in said wall opening and secured at the other end to the free end of said boom, said last named cables being arranged to slidably support the longitudinal edges of said chute.

6. The structure defined in claim 4, including a substantially deep frame for said wall opening, said frame having top and bottom members inclined downwardly from the interior to the exterior of said wall opening,

LEWIS A. EASTMAN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 293,845 Bird Feb. 19, 1884 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 27,619 Great Britain Dec. 16, 1903 

